Grief Sickness
by SpaceLegend
Summary: Season One fiction. Is the strange, alien spacecraft hovering near Moonbase Alpha to blame for Dr. Russell's suddenly very strange and nearly psychotic behavior? THIS FICTION IS NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**GREIF SICKNESS**

#

"It's beautiful." Sandra said, smiling gently.

Morrow concurred but cautiously added, "I just wish it would speak with us."

They sat at their desks in Main Mission, periodically glancing up at the Big Screen, at a sparkling greenish colored alien craft which hovered not far away. It seemed as unsure of the moon and its base as the Alphans were of it.

"Perhaps it will just observe us then go away." she offered.

"They never just go away." Kano snorted from his desk.

It was a quiet afternoon on the wandering moon but it would not stay that way.

Strangely, the chaos that followed would have absolutely nothing to do with the alien vessel in their midst.

#

It was an odd incident, one he dismissed for what it was at the time, but still unforgettable because of the unpredictable familiarity involved.

"Commander," Dr. Mathias called to Koenig on his comlock.

"Yes." He was on his way to his quarters after having been up all night with the graveyard shift in Main: Mission. It had been devilishly dull but he managed to get some paperwork done. "What is it, Bob?"

"Dr. Russell was due in Medical Center about a half hour ago. I've called her repeatedly with no response. I hate to ask but do you think you could stop by her quarters and see if she is well?"

Troubled, Koenig nodded. "I will." He then proceeded to Helena's but first tried to raise her via comlock, as Bob had, with no effect. He then used the same comlock to open her door. Tentatively, he entered unannounced into her quarters.

He approached her bed slowly. Helena was covered to her waist with a light blanket, wearing pajamas, and she seemed fast asleep. He watched her for a short time, studying the way she gently breathed in and out, her chest rising and falling, appreciating her beauty and ease, unaware of his intrusion. Her hair lay in blond tiers on her pillow and the left side of her mouth twitched ever so slightly, perhaps the outward indication of a dream she was having. Then, shaking himself ruefully out of the moment, he leaned down and gently touched her upper arms, "Helena, time to wake up." Koenig called.

She barely stirred.

Apprehensive, he sat on the edge of the bed beside her and touched her cheek. He called again, "Helena."

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled gently. "Lee." she whispered and sat quickly up, kissing him firmly on the mouth, holding him in her arms. "You're home."

Koenig pushed her back very gently. "Helena, it's John." he said. She was warm and soft in his embrace, pressed against him, and he realized he could have gotten quite lost in her if their circumstance was different.

"John?" Recognition followed. "What are you doing here?" she asked, easing out of her groggy disarray. She dropped her hands and pushed ever so slightly from him.

Koenig, although he would not admit it, was somewhat wounded by the disconnection. "Bob was concerned."

She looked at her bedside clock, "I'm late." She reared back in the bed, suddenly unsure why she and the Commander had been clinching. "Why did he send _you_? Why didn't he just call?"

"He tried but you weren't answering." Then Koenig asked, "Are you well?"

Helena blinked, confused. "I'm fine. I had a bit of a headache last night, a funny buzzing in my ears, but nothing to make me sleep that deeply." She picked up her comlock and keyed in a number, "Bob, this is Dr. Russell. I'm sorry I'm late. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

He smiled at her from the screen, "You had me a little nervous. Take your time, Doctor. I'll see you when you get here."

Helena severed the link. She then smiled gently, "Sorry, John." When he did not move right away she looked at him, questioning.

"You thought I was Lee." he said.

"What?'

"When you woke up you called me _Lee_ and kissed me."

"Oh." Helena was embarrassed and looked a little way from him. John Koenig was her Commander and friend. There was a bit of an attraction there between the two, with a promise of more, but nothing had progressed any further than a kind word, a few somewhat longing looks, and an occasional kiss on the cheek. "Suppose I must have dreamed about him." She shrugged. "I'm sorry I kissed you, John. And thank you for checking on me."

He smiled and chuckled, "My pleasure." he said and touched her affectionately under the chin, "You get to work and I'm turning in. I could use some serious sleep myself." He stood. "Have a good day, Helena."

Helena watched him leave, noting his strength and good humor but also a slight hint of frustration. She smiled.

That was two weeks ago.

#

"Has she gone mad?" a female operative called. She stood beside her console but backed up, as were others, as the woman approached. Her bare feet slowly stepped down the stairs.

She had made her approach from Main Mission's large double doors, as they sliced open to allow her entrance.

"I heard him!" Helena Russell nearly screamed, her vision darting about at the people before her – appearing wholly irrational. She stood in Main Mission, wearing pajamas, and in her hand was a stun gun. Her blond hair was disheveled and she, wild-eyed and unhinged, looked every inch an escapee from a mental institution.

Not long before she had been in Medical Center, under a doctor's care. She was so deeply asleep no one had thought she was a threat.

The Commander watched from the top step that led into his office. Professor Bergman was standing right next to him.

This moment seemed strangely familiar to John Koenig. When had it happened? He had asked for their trust and they betrayed him. They did not believe in him, dismissed him, but later he understood why. Never had the truth seemed so insane.

No Arra this time, he knew.

But Helena seemed totally and completely convinced that she was hearing the voices of the dead. They spoke with her, threatened her, and told her Moonbase Alpha was doomed.

"Helena, he is gone." Victor said, gently. "The man died over a month ago. We were there when it happened. We have his body in stasis. You and I observed his interment. Do you remember?"

Exasperated, feeling as if she was being treated as an idiot, Helena shouted: "Of course I remember, Victor!" she gasped, "But that does not stop Mateo from talking in my head. He blames me! So does Warren and even Laura Hendricks! They all tell me if I had done my job right, if I had been a better Chief Medical Officer, had the foreknowledge to see beyond our human abilities, they would still be alive and working on Alpha! They would all have a future!"

"She _is_ mad!" an urgent whisper was heard from a technician by their computer wall.

"But now they're telling me there is a threat out there that will destroy Alpha if we do not act now!"

Koenig called, "Paul, that craft. Is there any sign of danger?"

Morrow shook his head back forth, "Nothing, Commander. It's just hovering."

Koenig initially had thought of his encounter with Arra but this was playing out more like Regina Kessler, when she had held them all at bay and eventually _died._ No, he would not let that happen to Helena. He carefully stepped down the stairs from his office and slowly approached her, "Helena, please give me the gun."

"The gun?" she asked, almost as if she was unaware she was holding it on him.

"Yes, that is not going to solve anything." Bergman urged, behind Koenig.

"He told me …" Helena seemed confused for a moment, "Mateo told me you were also at fault. But you don't hear them, do you John?"

"No, I don't." He was honest, "But if I did I would tell them it was not your fault or mine. Those Alphans … Their deaths were accidents, Helena. A phenomena of space. No one could have saved them."

"I thought so once." She lifted her hands, the stun gun now very close to her own head. Her hands covered her ears. "They won't stop taunting me. They keep telling me over and over that I am to blame." Then, a little calmer she said, "They say I should join them, John. I should escape the devastation before it happens."

Commander Koenig had never seen her like this before and he gulped slightly at her last statement.

It had started over week ago; maybe a little longer. It was a little buzz in her ear. A sound that was not painful but annoying in its frequency. Helena had mentioned it to John then Victor.

Both their answers were similar. Victor said she may have gotten water in her ear during a shower and John had mentioned an inner ear infection he had when very young. Mathias looked and told Helena she had neither. Still, the sound continued on and off then a few days later she heard a word: "_Murderer" _

Helena had gasped. She was in Medical Center, at her desk working, and stood feeling very much afraid.

Still, maybe she was laboring too hard, over-thinking her reports. It wasn't very busy in Medical Center so she folded up her paperwork and told Dr. Mathias she was going to take the following day off. She wasn't feeling well, had a headache, and was going to relax in her quarters.

It had been a few days before this she had come in late for work but Dr. Russell practically never took time off, often working extra hours, so he wished her well and told Helena everything was under control.

That night forward the torment escalated. Words had turned into sentences. Vile things rang in her head; judgments and threats.

Nervous, Helena finally asked Professor Bergman over for tea and told him what she was suffering through. She tried not to make it as bad as it was but surely he could see her hands shaking as she lifted her teacup to her mouth and her strained expression. He told Helena he would check with Kano. Perhaps there was a deep space reverb at work, something computer could pin point, and they could quell it with filters. He would also check and see if there were others experiencing the same "noises" as she.

"Victor …" she hesitated, "Don't tell John."

"Why on Earth not?" he asked.

"He has enough to worry about. I don't want to add to his problems – especially if it turns out to be nothing." Helena smiled dimly and wondered if she _should_ mention it to the Commander. Honestly, she did not want to. His opinion of her meant a great deal to Helena and what if it was discovered … What if she really was cracking up? Helena always prided herself on a cool head and logical thinking under pressure. But perhaps, leading the strange life they all had been forced to live, the symptoms she was experiencing were signs of deep stress or anxiety.

However, before Victor could get back to her with his findings, Helena began to hear the voices morning, noon and night.

"_You are a murderer."_

"_You killed us." _

"_It's your fault!"_

"_Death is too good for you." _

"_ALPHA IS DOOMED!"_

She told Bob and swore him to their doctor-patient confidentiality agreement, "Honestly," she said, "If my last psyche evaluation hadn't been so sterling I would be very worried about now." _And I still am._

Mathias chuckled, "The fact that you are taking that into consideration shows you are not going crazy, Helena. However, I would like to take an image of your ear canal and a brain scan just to see if there is a blockage or swelling of some kind ..." She was not ready for a psychiatric ward, Mathias assured. After the images were taken he gave her medication and told their CMO to get rest. He would call her with the results.

She tried to relax but nothing worked. If anything, the drugs made her more susceptible to the horrible words uttered into her ear as she lay in bed and tried to relax. Soon the accusations had become screams in her head. _"Death! Destruction!" _the voice that sounded like Warren shouted.

Finally, two days ago she stumbled to the backdoor of Koenig's office, opened it with her comlock, her hands shaking, and she cried out for help. Helena dropped her comlock to the floor and held her throbbing head with both hands.

"Helena!" Commander Koenig caught her as she fell, and held her sobbing in his arms.

"Make them stop, John. _Please_!" Then she fainted.

Koenig felt his heart skip a beat. What in God's name was going on?

Professor Bergman called Medical Center and, despite what he promised Helena, told Koenig what she had disclosed about the sounds in her head.

They placed her under a deep sleep but Mathias was worried. All of Helena's levels were erratic and abnormally high. "She should not be dreaming" he told them, "but every indication shows she is not just dreaming but whatever she is seeing or hearing is vicious."

"John, have you noticed Helena feeling particularly disoriented by the recent deaths on Alpha?" Bergman asked.

"No more than the rest of us." he said. "I do know she and Mateo were friendly. I'd often see her with Mateo and Laura during off duty hours, talking and playing cards in the recreation center. I'm sure she grieved for both when they died."

"It's always a little deeper for us here in the medical unit." Mathias said, thoughtfully, looking from her to the men. "Doctors try to keep professional but we know many of the people on Alpha personally. Then, when they die, we are asked to do their autopsies …" He shook his head back and forth and sighed, "Helena is our CMO. Maybe the pressure _has_ finally tipped her over."

"Did she come to you about this?" Koenig asked Mathias.

He hesitated before answering. "Yes." Mathias said, "We are awaiting results of a few scans."

"Why the hell was it kept a secret?"

"She asked me not to say anything, Commander, to keep it confidential. It seemed very personal to her and who was I to argue? I had no idea it was as bad as this." Once again, he looked at her as she lay on the bed.

Bergman admitted, "She came to me too and asked me not to say anything to you, John. I think she was afraid."

"Afraid of _what_?" Koenig barked. And, he wondered, why hadn't she come to him first? He could not help feeling slightly hurt by her inability to trust him.

Mathias and Bergman made eye contact, knowing what the other was thinking.

"I think she was afraid she was going mad."

#

In the present, Sandra stood a little to Helena's side. "No, Dr. Russell." She was frightened for her friends and work-mates in Main Mission but also now very afraid for Helena herself. She was not rational and that unexpected look of acceptance in her expression was worrisome. "You should not in any way join Mateo and the others. You are alive and they are dead."

"Eternal sleep." Helena whispered, "Quiet." Now looking at her gun. She had pulled it from the docking station positioned under her desk in Medical Center. Very few people knew it existed but Koenig arranged for Helena to have it. The gun was locked away under a special code that only she and he knew. It seemed a wise security feature at the time. She snapped the beam from stun to kill, "Freedom from the voices." She murmured.

"No Helena! NO!' Koenig moved forward, "That's not the answer."

"What_ is_, John?" she wondered, nearly inaudible. "I can't sleep, as we know it, because I have nightmares. I hear them. And when I'm awake they also call to me. No one else, John, just me." Her voice broke, "They're punishing _me_!"

"There has to be answer, Helena." Bergman reasoned, "We will find it together."

Alan Carter, hidden behind the spiral staircase moved up slowly behind Helena.

Koenig saw him and urged him, with his eyes, to be careful.

"It's a warning. You have to find out why Alpha is doomed, John." She said, "And I … I will die knowing I have done all I can …"

Alan quickly grasped Helena's wrist and pulled the gun from her hand.

Main Mission exhaled collectively.

Helena, confused, looked up at John as he approached and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "Let me take you to someone who can help you." he said.

"Am I going to be arrested?" she asked, nearly childlike.

"No, no." Bergman came up on her opposite side, 'We are going to try to make the voices go away, Helena." He took one of her hands in his.

She nodded as John slipped an arm around her shoulders and he and Victor walked Helena to Medical Center.

Sandra watched them then looked at Paul Morrow. Both heard her faint last words as the doors sliced shut.

"I'm not crazy … _Am I_?"

_Poor woman_, they both thought. Then, their attention was diverted as an alarm sounded.

Paul and Sandra looked up at the Big Screen once again, distinguishing something different. The enigmatic ship seemed more alive, its visual energy more vivid.

"It's closer." Kano said. "And I think it's trying to communicate …"

#

_**More to come.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

#

"It's a malignant tumor." Mathias announced and brought the x-ray plate over to a lighted panel for the Commander and Professor Bergman to view. "It's deep in the Temporal Lobe. When Helena told me she had experienced headaches and nausea in the mornings I should have recognized it right away." He grimaced, "Nausea, headaches, hallucination and voices. All classic symptoms."

They looked at the gray rounded spot, what looked like a minor flaw, in what was otherwise a perfect if ordinary looking human brain.

"Is it operable?" Professor Bergman asked.

"I don't dare." Mathis said. "Even with lasers it's just too deep."

Koenig gazed at the x-ray then looked over to where Helena lay, sedated in her bed in Medical Center. Gathering himself, he said: "Awhile back you took a scan of Helena's brain, when the Tritons took her over. There was no indication of a growth at that time?"

"I actually did pull that, Commander." Mathias had the plate in his hand and put it next to her current results. "I took this right after she was released by the Tritons, when the ball of orange light was gone, just to make certain both her brain and optic nerve were clear. That was four months ago. As you can see, there is nothing there. However …"

Both men looked at Mathias as he paused.

"Bob?" Bergman questioned.

"I hesitate to say anything. This is mere medical opinion and not fact. But I believe whatever the Tritons did to Helena _caused_ the tumor. For me it's the only logical explanation. The lesion is so small we cannot see it on this plate but it's been growing ever since that encounter. We never picked up on it because, until recently, she hasn't had a scan. It never seemed necessary."

Mathias obviously knew his business but Koenig had to ask, "Could it be something else? A simple head trauma?"

Bergman looked at his friend, at the figurative straws he was obviously grasping. There was nothing simple about head trauma.

"No, it's far too deep, Commander." Mathias said," Any ordeal that could cause a cancerous tumor like this would have had to been severe and, well, Helena was never brought in for such an event."

"Surgery is completely out of the question?" Bergman asked.

"Any attempt … She would die of the table, Professor. I'm sorry but it's true."

Koenig's voice was low, nearly mournful. "Is there_ anything _you can do for her? Chemotherapy?"

Mathias suddenly appeared drained, "That is a possibility but it will be up to Dr. Russell. We will medicate her, of course, and try to keep her comfortable." He exhaled, "It's just a matter of time, Commander."

Professor Bergman looked up at Koenig's grave expression as he stared at the x-ray. They would both miss her terribly. Helena was a dear friend and colleague. However, he sensed, for John it ran even deeper. Did he have visions, during those times when he was not in Main Mission being the base's Commander, of marriage and a family? Had he allowed himself the daydream of falling in love once again after years of denying it could ever happen?

The men heard her stir, a gentle cry, and they quietly walked over to her bedside.

For her and the base's safety, Helena was strapped onto the bed, both hands held by loose bands. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at John Koenig. She smiled, "Lee … you've come home." she whispered.

The comment, the repeated mistake, pulled at Koenig's heart.

She tried to reach for him but the binding hindered her. Confusion became reality. Helena recognized her error and asked, "John?" At his nod, coming back to herself, she queried. "Is the base safe?"

He nodded, again afraid to speak for fear of how his voice might sound. Gently, he took one of her hands and gently rubbed her knuckles with a thumb.

"I still hear the voices." she informed, "But they're not as loud. That_ is_ good, right?"

"Yes." he managed to choke out.

"Commander." Paul Morrow's voice came over his comlock.

Koenig gently released Helena's hand to grasp and lift the device and look at the screen.

"We are receiving a transmission from the alien spacecraft. They are asking for you specifically."

His eyes met Bergman's, puzzled. "I'll be right there." Koenig hooked his comlock onto his belt as he once again looked upon a curious Helena, who smiled.

"Always on duty." She said, understanding.

He smiled gently and touched her shoulder, "I'll be back soon." he promised. "Keep an eye on her, Bob."

Mathias acquiesced. Helena did not yet know her situation and he would have to have a serious conversation with her. Knowing how close he and Helena had become, Bob was going to ask the Commander if he wanted to break it to her but Koenig was clearly too busy now. It was never easy telling a patient she had a fatal ailment but it was harder telling another doctor, who understood her chances even before the gloss of _"but this is what we can do"_ made a paltry appearance.

Victor Bergman also touched Helena's shoulder then followed Koenig to Main Mission.

#

Helena felt his closeness before she saw him.

She had been drugged again after Bob told her about her condition, the cancer that meant the end of her life. Helena tried to be brave. She was a doctor, after all. How often, during her earlier years as a resident than a general practitioner, was she forced to relay the same bad new to her patients? Still, it was a little different when it was you who had just been served a death sentence. She had tried to hold it in but Dr. Mathias saw her struggle, the emotions her tumor would not allow her to suppress, and he mercifully gave her an hypo injection that relaxed her. It did not relieve her from the mental shock, the knowing of what was to come – but it did help.

She hoped it was quick and that poor John and Victor would not feel obligated to be with her as she grew thinner, weaker and more eccentric. Soon she would be a mere shell of the woman she once was – and her decline would be far too painful for her friends to watch.

"Dr. Russell." His memorable voice sounded.

"You got what you wanted." She told him, "You did not think I deserved to live for what I did to you and yours - and now I'm terminal." Helena opened her eyes and looked up at the horribly scarred form of Mateo as he looked down at his victim from her bedside. "Are you happy?"

"And what of Alpha?" he asked, "It is still doomed. Potentially, you failed in your task."

"Yes, I did." She sighed, sardonically. "Perhaps you should go tell Commander Koenig."

"I have tried but he and the others are not open to it. Not like you."

"Why? Because this tumor has made me a babbling idiot?" Helena nearly chuckled, "Mateo, you are a figment of my imagination." She watched as the pale forms of Laura and Professor Warren came up behind him, "You too."

"Mateo, don't be cruel. She did everything she could." Laura then looked at Helena, her voice was imploring, "You must take the risk that will be presented to you, Dr. Russell. It will seem very frightening, ridiculous even, but you must accommodate."

Helena squinted slightly as they spoke. Her phantoms seemed far more reasonable than they had over the last few weeks when they shouted obscenities into her head. "I don't understand."

"For Heaven sake, woman, take charge of yourself." Warren said gruffly but oddly in character. "Selfishness does not become you. Act when they tell you to and don't prattle about."

"Hush Warren." Laura said.

"You fool." Mateo said to Warren then to Helena, "You will know what you must do, Doctor, when the time comes."

Helena closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth, "I seriously doubt that." Already she was losing focus, often unable to tell what was real and an illusion. God, it was so unfair! She bit back on a scream that wanted to erupt from her trembling lips. Taking a deep breath, Helena calmed herself and watched as the visions before her faded away.

#

The buzz and rumble of a busy Main Mission met their ears as the central doors opened, allowing Koenig and Bergman to enter.

Morrow reported, "He said his name is Commander Anliz but would not reveal more until he spoke directly to you, Commander."

The imposing alien on the screen wore black. His hair was long and snow white. The expression was laconic and Koenig might have been reminded of the Kaldorians, Zandor and his people, if not for his introduction and explanation.

"Commander, I realize I am unfamiliar to you but my people know you very well. I come from the planet Althera and you knew out leader, Arra."

Koenig stared, stunned. He had never thought to hear from the Altherians again. "How is Arra?" he asked, unsure what to ask.

"She is gone."

Koenig felt a tug of sadness, "Passed away?"

"Merely gone."

The Altherians were a wise but mysterious people. Koenig decided to leave well enough alone. "How may we help you, Commander?"

"We need to speak with you on a matter of some importance. But it is too vital and involved to discuss in this manner. However, we must make haste."

Koenig bit, "Would you like me to come aboard your ship?"

Kano looked over at his Commander then gave Morrow a 'Is he kidding?' gesture.

"Yes, Commander. You _and_ Dr. Russell."

Koenig sighed under his breath and after a pause said, "Dr. Russell is unwell."

"We are aware of this, Commander. It is never the less vital that she attend."

Koenig glanced quickly at Victor Bergman then studied the man on their Big Screen, "Why?"

The alien seemed at a loss for words for a moment, "It is difficult to explain." He said.

"Try." Carter said from where he sat near the pilot's console. He, as well as John Koenig, was very much aware of the power of the Altherians. He had experience Arra sensitivity and greatness. Yet, even Alan was finding the secrecy aggravating if not insulting.

Anliz said, "She has a _future_, Commander; an existence that will not be realized to its full potential if you do not coöperate with us. No further questions. You must comply."

"Is that a threat?" Morrow asked, unable to help himself.

"No." the alien replied, expression impassive. "It is fact. Dr. Russell's continuation of life means more than you realize. It goes beyond her skill, your moonbase, or even your personal relationship, Commander Koenig. She must live."

Koenig blinked, unsure. "You can save her life?"

Main Mission looked at one another, puzzled and a little frightened.

"We must. Will you bring her to us?"

Koenig said, "Yes … but we need to know more."

"Come to our ship and all will be explained, Commander." Then, because he thought the Earth beings might receive it well, he said: "I promise."

Koenig hesitated but only for a moment. He knew he should be questioning him more, attempting to find out if the alien's promise was a disguise for as yet unseen dangers, but a fact remained. Helena was going to die and Anliz said he could save her. If this man was honest there was no need for fear but if he was lying … In the end, for Koenig, it did not matter. "She and I will come to you."

"As will I." Victor Bergman said.

Koenig almost told him_ no_. He was too important of a loss to Alpha should they fall into the wrong hands, but something stopped the Commander.

"Yes," Anliz smiled very mildly, understanding. "You should, Professor."

"But before we come to your craft," Victor queried, "Can you tell us _why_ you find it so important to cure Helena Russell?"

Anliz spoke very carefully but his resolve was crystal clear: "Her death will mean the end of our people … and possibly yours."

#

_Chapter Three Coming Soon._


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Agitated, David Kano tapped his console as he spoke, "I would like to see Dr. Russell cured as much as the next Alphan but I can't help feeling we're allowing ourselves to walk blindly into a trap."

Main Mission continued to monitor the craft as it loomed before them on the Big Screen.

"The Commander seems to believe them." Sandra said.

"And he's been right before." Professor Bergman walked down the steps near Koenig's office and stood beside Carter's vacant desk. The pilot was away, arranging for the Eagle that would take them to the craft. "If what Anliz is telling us is true we truly have no choice but to go and see what it is all about."

_No choice because Helena's life is at stake_, Paul Morrow thought and sat heavily back in his chair. It might be her only salvation. He and the others in Main Mission were not fools. They knew very well why their Commander and Professor Bergman felt the need to proceed. The men were acting on emotion rather than common sense because each, in their own way, cared deeply for Dr. Russell. Paul looked over at Sandra and wondered if he might feel the same way if she was ever in the same danger. Still, he had to state the obvious. "Professor, for all we know the alien craft has been monitoring Alpha for some time and Anliz is telling the Commander exactly what he wants to hear."

"Or," Kano added, "Anliz and his people are creating the situation, causing Dr. Russell's illness, knowing the results will be she and the Commander captive aboard their ship."

Sandra knew he had a point. "Our Commander and Chief Medical Officer might make for lucrative hostages."

Morrow eyed Victor, "Not to mention the head of our science department, who _insists_ on going with them."

"Hostages? For what reason?" Bergman asked, slightly irritated by their conjecture. Morrow's irony did not elude him. "What could _we_ have that the Alterians might want?"

"The moonbase itself?" Kano suggested.

Bergman looked doubtful, "We have been reminded time and again that we mere humans from Earth are _not_ terribly advanced. While Alpha is a technical and aesthetic marvel to us, any alien capable of random space excursions could only consider it a minor achievement." He looked up at the screen, "I'm inclined to believe them. Dr. Russell, in the future, will do something miraculous to save lives."

"But even that is strange." Morrow said, attempting reason. "If they are so advanced what could Dr. Russell do to save their world? It just doesn't make sense."

"Not only that," Sandra added, "If they already knew this information why didn't Arra tell Commander Koenig and Alan about it early on?"

"Perhaps she did." Kano allowed, "But they didn't understand her. After all, if you recall, at the time we were right in the middle of another pressing problem; a collision course with their planet."

An unflappable Bergman gave him a wry smile, "We are in deep space, my friends, experiencing things none of us can altogether understand." He then summed up, "Often, as much as we hate to do it, we must stop thinking like Earthlings."

Kindly, Victor nodded at Alpha's thoughtful staff and made his exit from Main Mission.

/

"The Eagle is ready when you are, Commander." Carter called over Koenig's comlock.

"Thank you, Alan. I'll keep you posted." He inwardly sighed as he clipped the device to his belt. It never seemed to be easy. Koenig, standing by her bedside, told Helena of their alien visitors and his plan to safe her life.

"No." she stated, emphatically.

"Helena, you don't understand." He was nonplussed by her abrupt and absolute rejection of what the aliens were offering. "These are _Arra_'s people." Koenig encouraged, "They can cure you, remove the cancer, and you will live a long full life."

She shook her head with a thoroughly negative reply, "John, Mateo and the others spoke to me. _They_ want me to go too." She lifted her hands, introspective and attempting to explain herself, "Think about this. After all this time, telling me how evil and awful I am, _why_ would they suddenly urge me to undergo such a thing? Why?" She looked up and into his eyes, "Because they _know_ it's not what it seems. Those aliens, whoever they are, will not cure me. They are going to _torture_ me!" Her voice caught in her throat, "It will be far more agonizing than my death here on Alpha, in my bed, with my friends – people I love - watching over me."

Koenig stared at her, unsure how to counter her claim. The Helena he knew would at least listen to what he had to say but, this time, she was resolute in her obstinacy. Mathias had told him that personality changes were not uncommon and Helena's stubbornness could be a part of her disorder. "It's the tumor making you think of Mateo and the others."

"NO, John. I won't go." she said again, not looking at him but straight ahead, determined. "You can't _make_ me."

Koenig followed her vision, where Helena was staring near the medical unit doors, and realized she was not talking solely to him. _Mateo_, he suspected. "It's the only way, Helena." He said, voice firm, purposely bringing her attention back to him.

"So ... you will not respect my wishes?" Her breathing became ragged, now looking up at him. "John Koenig, you pretend to be my friend, to listen when I speak, but you're no better than an ... enemy." She suddenly cried out, "NO! _I will not go_!" Her hands slammed down beside her on the bed. "No! No!"

Mathias came out of his office when he heard Dr. Russell start to rage.

Koenig stepped back a pace, astonished and dismayed. He had never been the recipient of such fury and unreasonable fear from Helena. His mind was having a difficult time processing not just her ire and distress but the fact she seemed totally against the prospect of a possible treatment.

It had started well. He came into Medical Center and wondered briefly if she would, once again, think he was her long gone husband but Helena was awake, mind uncluttered, and sitting up in bed, reading. She looked over at him, appearing fatigued and pale but delighted by his visit. She was pleased to see that John had kept his promise about coming back to Medical Center soon.

He walked over and took her hands. They were still loosely banded to the bed, He then asked if she had spoken to Bob about her condition. The smile faded ever so slightly but Helena nodded bravely and told him, in a clear manner, that it explained much. She was prepared for whatever came next.

He admired her bravery but wondered how she could so effortlessly accept her fate when he could not. Koenig told her he had some promising news and as he spoke he saw what he had thought, at first, might be hope in her expression. It evaporated into concern than vocal dread. The Commander tried valiantly to explain that whatever procedure the Alterians were to perform could only benefit her – but Helena was not buying any of it.

"You don't know, John. You _can't_ know!" she had cried.

Koenig took the woman by the shoulders and held her steady, "Helena, try to understand." He nearly begged for her reason and held her firm, feeling her body shaking beneath his hands. Helena was now a frightened, tormented child and it nearly broke his heart to see her this way. Was it possible he was doing more harm than good?

Then, just before Mathias took her wrist and applied a hypodermic injection, she wailed - "They are fooling you, John, making you think they're friends and want to help but, in reality, they're monsters!" she sobbed, falling back on the mattress, "You're _all _monsters!"

Soon she was unconscious and Dr. Mathias told him she would be fine after a rest.

Shaken and walking back to his office, Koenig began to wonder if Helena was not partially right. Perhaps he was too eager to accept the aliens aid because he felt they were Dr. Russell's only chance. He had not truly considered all the possibilities. The name of Arra was presented to the base's Commander and his usually suspicious nature was cast aside. Koenig needed answers he could not get from his people in Main Mission or even the incredibly accomplished mind of Professor Bergman.

Mathias advised Koenig that since Helena was no longer completely in charge of her own faculties her future, aka - power of attorney, fell to him as the base's Commander.

Did he abide by her wishes which would culminate in a complete loss of reality and slow death? Or, should he put his trust in an alien people he thought he knew … but who _could_ be deceiving him?

Anliz wanted to talk about something but was, as yet, unwilling to outright say what it was – only that Helena's life was paramount in maintaining their livelihood. Will she create a cure for a plague of some kind in the future? Or perhaps her destiny was like his own, to allow two worlds to collide, thus permitting life to continue?

Or, as she maintained, was it all a trick devised by a loathsome alien intelligence to destroy them?

It boggled the mind.

Koenig knew who he had to talk with.

He found himself walking to the Eagle hanger.

/

Carter wrote a brief note on a narrow clipboard and handed it off to a subordinate. He then turned his attention back to Koenig. "I thought it was a done deal. It's not?" he asked.

Both men glanced at the awaiting Eagle. It would be transported to Launch Pad Three the moment their Commander told them it was time to move.

"You remember how it was when we were influenced by Arra." Koenig said. It was not a question, "Alan, is any of that coming back to you; that absolute certainty we felt when we saw her? We knew what we were doing was the right thing. We did not question it. We _knew_ it was right."

Carter thought a moment. "No. Not the intensity but the understanding is there, Commander. If Dr. Russell stands a chance it's with these aliens. I, for one, sincerely believe that." He studied Koenig's expression, "There's a problem?" he wondered.

"Helena has … doubts … and so do many in Main Mission. I can't blame them. Just as I couldn't get upset when they betrayed us both months ago, when we told them our stories."

"No threat of radiation sickness this time, though." Carter nodded, gravely. "But it is awfully convenient." He shrugged ever so slightly, "Maybe that's the point, John. We both know the Altherians see right through us. Arra certainly did. The others ... They don't really get it."

"No. Unless you've talked with the woman, experienced her power, you can't really understand." Koenig nodded, mind made up. There was no more time to waste. "We leave in thirty minutes." he said.

/

**More to Come.**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Helena Russell slowly but diligently worked her wrist free from the loose cuff. All the while she looked into Dr. Mathias' office, noting the white sleeve of his uniform and dark hair, making certain he was not watching her or did not spot what she was attempting.

She and Roberto Blanco were the only two occupants in the ward and he was medicated; deeply asleep. The nurses were busy with inventory and Mathias was working at his console. His back was to her and Helena was grateful as she pulled the clip from the other cuff. She then quietly unstrapped herself from the restraints that held her onto the bed.

_They meant well_, she thought, _John and the others._ But they simply could not understand the nearly psychic perception she had into their future. They did not hear the voices or feel the pain in her head. They did not see the visions …

Quietly, Helena slipped from the mattress, still watching Dr. Mathias. Carefully, she pulled off her pajama shirt and replaced it with the white robe that was lying at the end of her bed. Inside the material of the medical sleep-wear was a thin tracking disk, illuminating respiration and temperature. It was standard. All patients had them. Helena was wise enough to dispense with the problem before it caused a glitch in her escape plain. The minute she left the unit they would know where she was.

_"Big Brother."_ She heard in her ear and knew it was Mateo.

She had reasoned it all out. Or so she had thought.

Slipping on the bed shoes (provided when Helena was up taking bathroom breaks or stretching for exercise), she backed-up in the direction of the Medical Center doors. She had to get away even if she did not know where exactly she was going. All Helena truly understood was she could not go to that spaceship and be subjected to unknown terrors and torture. She so wished John could understand her fear and intuition!

Carefully, Helena touched the button which sliced the doors open and saw Dr. Mathias' head bob marginally when he heard the gentle hum. She was out of the unit and running down the hall. Helena did not get far when she heard the alert.

Commander Koenig's voice came over the moonbase's sound system, "Attention all sections Alpha. Be on the lookout for Dr. Helena Russell. Approach with extreme caution but do not apprehend. Contact Security immediately." The last was said with evident sorrow. "She may be dangerous."

Helena nearly cried. She thought she would have more time and clearly could not go back to her quarters now. It would be the first place they looked. Frightened, Dr. Russell ran along the corridor, thankfully deserted with the exception of her apparitions. They appeared at every turn as she ran the halls of Moonbase Alpha.

"Dr. Russell, stop!" Laura called, "Do not run from your fate!"

Another turn and Warren was waiting, blocking her path. "Are you daft?" he asked, "You cannot escape what is destined!"

Angered, Helena ran right through him.

She soon found herself outside of Hydroponics, breathing hard and hearing the click of booted heels as they approached from behind her.

Helena turned about and saw Mateo, a burned and disfigured hand reaching for her.

"Stop!" he called, "Do not go in there!"

If he was making such a demand it was obviously safe, Helena thought. She pushed the door opener and rushed inside. Only a few Alphans were working and they were concentrating so deeply on their projects, slightly turned away from Dr. Russell, that they did not see her in the large leafy expanse.

Various planet life, including bushes and trees, surrounded the area and Helena squeezed herself into a corner with tall grasses and a fruit baring bush. She was well hidden and relaxed slightly, at first resting her head against a wall then drawing her legs up so she could place her forehead against her knees, blocking out the light that hurt her eyes. Helena was so tired, both from her run, her illness and the medication she was fed every morning. The woman's eyes closed and she fell gently asleep.

In her dream, Helena remembered a time, long ago, when she was a little girl. She was in a hospital and had her tonsils removed. She recalled awakening, unable to speak, feeling strange with a sore throat, but seeing the face of her Mother above her as they rolled her from the operating theatre to her hospital room, "Mama." She tried to whisper." And felt the woman's soft hand on her shoulder.

She felt safe.

Helena longed for that same sensation again, for someone to speak gently to her, telling her all would be well. She wanted to feel loving, honest arms embrace her.

"Dr. Helena Russell. We must speak."

Awake, Helena breathed in sharply. She had been found … but _no_. She did not recognize this voice, the woman sounding so mature and knowledgeable. Anxious, Dr. Russell looked up and saw her.

She was very fair, with an intelligent face, cragged with years. The female alien had white hair and was enshrouded with a black cloak. "I am Arra. You have heard of me?"

Helena licked her lips. Was this another trick of her unhealthy mind?

"No it is not. I am real." Arra said, reading her thoughts, "I come to you because you do not yet understand. Without you my world is fated for destruction."

"But Mateo, Laura and Warren …"

"My fault, I fear. They were delusions of your guilty mind but I thought to use them to convince you to come to us, to have the necessary surgical procedure, and find yourself healed. Little did I know that it would have the opposite outcome."

Helena was shaking, trying desperately to comprehend, and feeling the discomfort in her head intensify. "John …" she gulped slightly, "He helped you. The moon and Altheria touched."

"Yes. Your people and my people are fated to meet again and again, Doctor. Strange that two such small, insignificant pebbles of dust in the vast galaxy should save lives a multitude of times."

"I do not understand."

"One day you will." Arra assured, "For now just grasp that you must be well. And someday, I pledge, you will find the deep love and understanding you seek, and the fulfillment you desire. You will go on to do great things, Dr. Russell."

"You can see my future?"

"_A_ future." Arra spoke carefully.

"I can't understand why your people find _me_ so important."

"You and yours, Dr. Russell."

"Mine?" She looked up into the wise face, "A child?"

"A child. Many children. Hundreds of years will have passed but a child, a brave man or woman, of your blood line _will_ save the universe. It is so ordained."

Stunned awareness suddenly saturated Helena's expression, "And it will start with me? Me and …?"

"You know the answer to that question." Something close to a smile appeared on Arra's erudite features. "Or you will very soon."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"You need to know. But, in time, you will forget. Human beings, mortal man and woman, should never know their future – or it will change."

Helena said, "I believe you." She was not altogether certain about the particulars but Helena did understand, nearly instinctually, that this woman was incapable of telling a falsehood. She now knew how John must have felt, Alan too, when Arra had asked them to help her people, thus saving his own. She truly was a magnificent being.

Arra's head lifted and she glanced ever so briefly over her shoulder, "Your friends are coming for you. I do not believe there will be further delay." She nearly looked a question.

"No further delay." Helena promised.

The woman disappeared and Helena, sorry to see her vanish, stood.

She stepped out of her hiding place just as John Koenig and a security team came through the Hydroponics doors. Someone with good eyes, or who had heard her talking to an unseen presence, must have alerted Main Mission, Helena surmised.

A guard had lifted a weapon but Koenig motioned him to stay still.

"Helena?" he asked.

"I'm all right, John." She said and meant it, approaching him. Helena did not hear the voices and her head did not hurt as it had only a few minutes ago. She smiled gently and felt some regret for what she must have put he and Victor through. "I think we need to leave the moonbase and get this tumor removed."

Koenig was a little taken aback by her new attitude. He wondered briefly if this was a temporarily lapse or if Helena was sincere.

"I'd like to change into my uniform before we go, John. Is that okay?"

"Yes." He replied warily, still a little dazed. "I'll go with you. We lift off in fifteen minutes, Helena." He looked at the guards, "Dismissed." He told them, "Tell Dr. Mathias and Main Mission I have Dr. Russell in hand. Also, tell Professor Bergman we will meet him in the Eagle."

The two men hesitated but did as their Commander ordered.

As they left Hydroponics and he walked Helena to her quarters Koenig asked, "Helena, are you _sure_ you are all right?"

She smiled up at him, "Perfectly." Then, as they reached the door to her quarters, the Commander using his comlock, Helena said: "I spoke with Arra."

And she stepped in.

Koenig nearly tripped as he walked in after her.

**/**

**More to come.**

_Thank you Becky99._


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

He waited in the lounge area, sitting on the sofa in her quarters, thinking of what she said. Helena was in the lavatory, changing her clothes and tidying up. He allowed her a moment of required privacy as he came to terms with what she had articulated. _Helena talked with Arra_. What had the alien told her that made the woman realize she did not need to be afraid and why hadn't Arra come to him? _'After all, I'm the Commander.'_ Koenig closed his eyes and breathed out. He was envious, pure and simple, and he chastised himself for such a petty emotion.

Anliz had told them that Arra was _'gone' _but did not seem eager to reveal exactly what that meant. Evidently it was too complicated and time consuming to explain. The Commander realized the Altherians were a higher form of life, had been for eons, but even more so since their earlier encounter with Moonbase Alpha. It was possible that none of what _really_ was Altheria was fathomable to a mere human mind. Even their human forms, their craft, and the words they used could be an illusion.

Still, the unfamiliar and Helena's sudden total trust in Arra and her people were puzzling. '_Helena knows something_.' Koenig could see it in her expression. Whatever it was, John found himself strangely struggling with her acceptance. Were her original fears of a complex malevolent plan to be utterly ignored? Was it possible he, Victor and Alan _were_ being duped? Was it ethical for him to take a woman who was obviously not in her right mind into unknown dangers?

Again, he thought of his own encounter with Arra and how his people had looked at him. Koenig rocked his head back and forth and ran a confounded hand from his brow down to his chin. If he debated it much longer he might find himself in need of psychiatric care. There was no easy answer. He had to act on instinct and, as he had deliberated since the opportunity arose, surgery from an advanced alien people was the only likely way to save Helena's life.

"Commander," His comlock beeped and Sandra's concerned face appeared on the screen. "We are receiving a transmission on our long distance probes. Another alien craft is coming our way."

"Altherian?"

"It is difficult to determine at this time."

Koenig looked up as Helena made her way out of the bathroom. She joined him as he stood. She looked better, hair combed, a little make-up improving her pale, drawn features; a touch of lipstick on her alluring mouth. He smiled gently at her then spoke to Sandra. "Keep us posted."

"Yes sir. Also, Alan and Professor Bergman are in Eagle Three, waiting for you and Dr. Russell."

"We'll be there directly." He snapped the comlock off and reattached it to his belt.

"Trouble?" Helena asked.

"I don't think so." He said in a dismissing gesture. She had enough on her mind and he did not want to stress her further. Gently, Koenig moved in a little and placed hands on her upper arms, "How are you?"

"No headache." She replied, "I'm just nervous and want to get this over with." Helena lifted one of her own hands to touch him, her fingers stretching to caress his knuckles where his hand rested on her arm. "I will be cured, John. I know it now."

They gazed at one another for a moment, a timeless period of personal clarity seldom allowed to anyone on the command staff, and less so since the beginning of Helena's illness. How could he tell her that the very idea of losing her would crush his soul and leave him as nothing more than a hollow shell? He wanted to embrace her and confess his feelings but now was not the time. They had to leave. 'Later.' He thought, when she was well and they returned to Moonbase Alpha.

Reluctantly, Koenig dropped his hands, the warmth of her fingers against his skin vivid in his mind. He straightened, "Let's go." His expression was now unwavering.

Helena smiled gently, a little disappointed, but she understood his ways. 'Good things come to those who wait ...', she recalled someone saying once.

They exited her quarters, walking side by side, to the Eagle hanger but said not a further word to one another. Both were wearing masks of resolve but inside there was fear and uncertainty, despite Arra's words to Helena.

/

Staring at the Big Screen, Kano watched the Eagle lift off the pad and proceed in the direction of the alien craft. From where he sat near his console Kano hoped his premonition was dead wrong. It was making him see things he really did not want to ponder.

In his mind's eye David was picturing Commander Koenig and the others pulled roughly from the Eagle, once the double doors opened, and imprisoned by the aliens. The Professor had asked earlier why the aliens would be interested in them when they were so inferior in comparison. Substandard perhaps, but the Earthlings were also exceptional in their own unique way. Kano's thoughts immediately focused on experimentation. They were one woman and three men, ranging from fairly young, Alan Carter, to mature, Victor Bergman. The Commander, a male in his prime, would make a spirited mental and physical slave while Dr. Russell … Perhaps they _did_ want to perform surgery on her brain. Not to cure but to investigate; to see the cancerous tumor and wonder how they might duplicate it. Perhaps they could use the human frailty in some alien way as a weapon against their enemies. They might also want to observe a human mind at work. He saw her brain alive, with electrodes attached, the aliens touching on all impulses, inducing excruciating pain!

"David, are you listening to me?" Morrow called over to his co-worker.

Startled, Kano looked at the Controller. "I'm sorry, Paul. What did you say?" No, he hand not heard him. He was letting his imagination get the better of him. That was fine, often expected, when Alphans were alone in their quarters but not here and now, in Main Mission, when lives were at stake.

Morrow repeated, "Ask computer to probe the new alien craft the moment it comes into range. We need to know what we are dealing with."

"Yes, Paul." He said and tapped some calculations and a request into his console.

Sandra watched Kano and could only imagine what he had been thinking about. She feared for them too but, like Paul, could not stop focusing on the selfish nature of what they were doing. Yes, Dr. Russell was valuable and a friend. Having her go to the ship, because there was little else they could do, was acceptable. Perhaps, for her, there really was no other choice. However, all four in that Eagle were vital to the on-going well-being of Moonbase Alpha. Lose one or two and Alpha would limp on but all four? Sandra inhaled deeply and steadied her hands. Any logical mind would tell them not to be fools. Yet, this was not a logical move. It was from the heart and they knew it. Neither Commander Koenig nor Professor Bergman was placing Dr. Russell in potential danger without being there to watch over her. And Alan Carter? He was not going to allow his Commander and those he respected to get where they were going without him at the controls of their transport.

Still, Sandra conceded, there was caution even where there was carelessness. The Commander would not merely allow the Altherians to transport them to their craft. He insisted they take an Eagle. And they were also bringing weapons, stun guns, although the aliens assured them they would not be necessary. One could not be too vigilant.

"Paul, I am getting some information on the new craft from the long range probes." Kano reported.

"And?"

"It's not Altherian. Not the same design or life forms. They seem to be humanoid but of a different species."

Morrow gently bit the inside of his lower lip and stared at the tiny pin point of light that was becoming more prominent as minutes ticked away. "Thank you, David. Keep watching them."

/

Koenig was in the pilot's section with Carter, flying the Eagle to the extraterrestrial craft.

"E.T.A. seventeen minutes, Commander." Carter said.

"Good." Koenig responded but kept his thoughts to himself.

In the passenger module Helena sat next to Victor and tried to relax.

He watched her, the lovely, fair face now a mask of deep thought as she stared straight ahead, nearly numbed by her experience. Helena had never been the type of woman to wear her emotions on her sleeve but it was at times like this, when he knew she must be experiencing a deep trepidation, that Victor admired her visible control. Even with the tumor playing table tennis with her mind she was determined to appear unflappable. Still, he knew she needed reassurance and it certainly was not a chore to take her hand in his, gently squeeze her fingers, telling her - without saying a word - that he was certain all would be splendid.

Helena turned and smiled gently at him. She appreciated his effort.

By the time they had docked with the Altherian craft and the Commander and Alan unbuckled and made their way back into the passenger module, Helena had fallen asleep. Bergman softly touched her shoulder, awakening her, and watched as she looked up at John Koenig, who reached down for her.

Helena's expression brightened considerably and, as she stood, her arms nearly lifted as if to embrace John Koenig. Quickly, her expression changed when she recognized an old inaccuracy.

Koenig saw it too. Again, she briefly thought he was Lee Russell. "Ready?" he asked, trying to smooth over the moment.

"Yes." She said, sounding brave but trembling nevertheless.

They watched as the Eagle doors parted.

/

"The alien ship – the new one - will be within range of Moonbase Alpha in one hour." Morrow informed his Commander.

Koenig and Carter were waiting in a small room with a white table, laden with a bowl of odd fruit and a pitcher of tepid water. There was also a long but colorless sofa that neither sat on. They were told to refresh themselves and wait while a few tests, being watched over by Victor, were performed on Helena. The doctor told them they would see her again just before surgery.

But there was no rest or sustenance. Koenig paced and Carter stood, rapping his fingertips tensely on the table.

"Alpha isn't receiving any transmissions from the craft?" Koenig talked as he paced.

"None yet, Commander."

"Keep attempting to reach them and call to me the moment you hear something."

"Yes sir," Morrow paused and politely questioned, "How is Dr. Russell?"

"So far … so good." Koenig tried to sound light but the worry was clear in his voice, "She is going in for the operation in a few minutes."

"All of us here wish her the best of luck, sir."

"Thank you, Paul."

They disconnected.

Introductions were made hastily the moment they step from the Eagle into the alien craft. Anliz and two attendants, both with white hair and dark robes, greeted the Alphans and told them they were prepared and thanked them for their faith. He then focused on Helena and took her hands in his own. He promised her the procedure would be painless and once the tumor was gone she would go on as if nothing had ever been amiss.

"I suppose you are going to have to shave my head." Helena said in a low voice. It was not a doctor's inquiry. This time the comment came from a patient, a woman who was slightly self-conscious and could only imagine a future, recovering but well, looking less than flattering to all who observed her. There were no wig makers on Moonbase Alpha.

Anliz appeared nearly amused, "Not at all. Our Dr. Ana can explain it better but the procedure will go through your ear canal with a specialized lighted scalpel."

"The ear? Really?" Alan listened, astounded and a little suspicious.

"This is common?" Victor asked.

"Yes."

"To your people, possibly, but not ours." Koenig said, concerned.

"We know your human anatomy. It is not altogether dissimilar to what our own once was …" Anliz facial countenance appeared whimsical for a moment. "However, there are some tests we need to conduct, just to be safe, before we proceed. They will not take long."

Bergman noted that the attendants behind Anliz, a male and female, were watching both John and Helena closely. They looked at the couple, at each other, then again at John and Helena. He wondered what they knew. "Anliz, you still have not explained what it is Dr. Russell will do in the future to save your world. You did promise us an explanation."

"I did." Anliz looked at Helena, "I believe Dr. Russell already knows what it is the future holds. Do you want your secrets revealed, Helena?"

Koenig noted his familiarity and wasn't certain he liked it.

"No, not yet." She smiled, mildly. "Maybe after the procedure. We can all have a nice, long talk."

Koenig frowned. He hated mysteries.

Later, after the test results came in and all appeared satisfactory, they rolled her down a long hall on a gurney. Koenig was on the left side and Bergman on the right. Neither were praying men but this time they were both willing to do whatever was necessary, including asking help from an unseen deity, to keep Helena safe.

The Commander had asked Alan to return to the Eagle and talk with Alpha, to get a few more particulars regarding the new alien craft. In the Eagle, he suspected, there was a smaller chance of their transmissions being picked up by the Altherians. Despite a positive past and the fact that Helena's life was in their hands, Koenig was unsure he wanted them to know more than what was already in the open. Later, this might be proven as over-cautious but now it seemed wise.

Just before they entered into the theatre, Victor leaned down and touched her shoulder. "I will be there the entire time, watching over you, and making sure no funny business is happening." He said with a smile.

Groggy, Helena smiled up at him from where she lay. She then shifted to look at John Koenig.

He bent down, close. "I will be waiting." He whispered tenderly, unsure what to add, and softly touched her hair.

She whispered into his ear, "I love you."

This startled him for a moment but he recognized that she was drugged and had once again mistaken him for her husband.

Koenig murmured, "It's John, Helena. Not Lee …"

Her eyes fixated on him, "I love _you_, John Koenig."

Then they rolled her inside the operating theater.

John stood watching, unable to speak, moved beyond words.

/

_**More to come.**_

_Thank you, Becky99_


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

They wanted her awake for the procedure, to check her cognitive abilities as the surgery progressed. They asked Helena questions as they worked on her. Dr. Ana looked to Professor Bergman to see if her answers were accurate. She did not feel a thing, not a pull or push and absolutely no pain. Helena had been given a medication before they brought her into the theater and she had a difficult time believing a small amber pill could numb an individual to the discomfort and complex things they were doing to her human brain.

Peaceful as she lay there, Helena also reflected on something more. As advanced as the Altherians were they had rolled her into this theatre on a gurney. It was done for she and the others benefit, to make what they were doing seem normal to the Alphans. Certainly the Altherians, with their eternities old advancements, could have simply hovered the woman into the operating room without ever having her lay on a bed. Perhaps the Altherians could have even snapped a couple of digits, preparing their patient for surgery in seconds, without preamble. But no, they understood that a "kiss and cry" moment was needed between mortals and, for humanity sake, they gave their guests what was expected.

As it turned out "the infection", as the aliens called it, was quickly found and eradicated in a mere few minutes. Yet, during that time Helena saw long departed friends from Earth looking down upon her. Mateo, Laura and Warren were there too, smiling benevolently, pardoning Dr. Russell for her part in their demise.

She was disappointed that Arra had not made an appearance but felt there must be something important transpiring. Arra's attention was needed elsewhere. Still, Helena longed for her words of wisdom and now sensed she understood how John and Alan felt once they were beyond the influence of her presence. It was a kind of desolation.

"Okay?" Victor asked by her side. His attention had initially been on the surgery and Dr. Ana, fascinated by what he was seeing. However, the Professor glanced at Helena and saw a nearly mournful expression. He grew concerned.

She smiled gently as his hand squeezed hers. As the operation came to its conclusion Helena became suddenly aware of something curious. She had seen her father and mother, a much loved aunt, and a couple of her college roommates but one person she did not see was Lee Russell.

Why hadn't she seen the man she loved more than any other in creation?

'_Because …'_ a voice in her head whispered, ' … _you have moved on from him.'_

Helena did not know who or what it was that spoke but she believed it. She could not mourn him forever. Especially now that a new life and love in the cosmos had opened up for her … '_And a child.'_ she thought. '_My brave little one ..._' Helena smiled and if she could she would have patted her belly.

/

Carter came to Koenig from their Eagle with the news. "Paul says the ship is heavily armed and seems to be making a beeline directly for Alpha." The pilot ran an exasperated hand through tousled blond hair, "I'm not certain what it's about, Commander, but Paul thinks it might be time to prepare for …"

… _War._

Koenig felt every nerve suddenly on edge. He did not want to jump unthinking into something that might not ever happen but the groundwork and preparation was the least he could have his people do. "We need to speak with Commander Anliz." he said. If Alpha had tracked the spacecraft then certainly the Altherians knew about it as well.

"John." Unaware of the drama taking place, Victor Bergman entered the waiting room with a large smile on his face, rubbing his hands together.

"Helena?"

"Perfectly well. She's recovering now."

"No problems?"

"None at all. But they want to keep an eye on her for a bit just to be certain." He chuckled, "The methods they used were just fascinating, John. When we get back to Alpha I must write a paper about it."

The Commander was visibly relieved about Helena. He wanted desperately to see her with his own eyes, to talk with her and know she was well. He would have rushed out of the room to do just that if Alpha was not in such probable peril.

They required answers.

"Commander." A monitor beside Koenig's head popped to life. "We need to talk." Anliz expression was grave.

"Yes." Koenig replied, looking from the screen to Victor and Alan and back to the alien again. "Yes, we do."

/

Anliz brought them to the navigation section of their extraordinary craft, where they could look upon the on-coming spaceship as it was magnified on their off-board cameras. It was still millions of miles away but moving quickly.

"It reminds me of a grasshopper." Carter said, critical but also awed. It was an enormous green vessel and he could only imagine the firepower it contained.

"They are called the Aloy and are a race of beings, an unholy intelligence if you will, who are as aware as we of what the future holds. Their only aim it to kill and dominate and eventually they will come very close to destroying the universe." Alliz voice was woeful, "They are all that is wrong in a sophisticated civilization."

Stunned, the men looked at one another.

"They follow us because they know we want to instigate their end. It has been foretold for over two thousand of your years." Anliz breathed heavily outward, "And to stop their eradication they must destroy Dr. Russell." Again, he paused to let the comment sink in.

Stunned, Carter's expression bade the question they all silently asked.

"They are not yet aware that she," Anliz glanced at Koenig, "and _you_, Commander, will be their undoing. They only know where we go is where their salvation ends. It has been an on-going pursuit."

Koenig stared at Anliz. Someone had to ask it - "What do Dr. Russell and _I_ do in the future that will cause their end?"

Anliz hesitated. He had wanted Dr. Russell to make the announcement, to give the couple a private moment where all would be made clear. It was her right. Yet, with a fast approaching lethal spaceship in their midst there was no time for subtly. "You and she will have a child, Commander. Two children to be exact." Anliz went on to explain about future generations, how the Alphans would thrive, and how he and Helena's descendent will become a great soldier for justice and save millions if not billions of lives.

Koenig felt as if he had received an affable but numbing blow to the head and he was silent for a time. It was mind-boggling and almost too much to digest.

Victor, despite the circumstances, smiled – as did Carter. Leave it to their always intuitive Commander to see everything except what was obvious in his own personal life. "John?"

Koenig lifted a hand, indicating he was sound. Of course, knew he and Helena would eventually make a romantic and very personal connection but the confirmation was still a bit staggering. And a child of theirs was going to … "Helena knows?" The Commander asked, nearly hesitant.

Anliz nodded.

_Yes, she knew_. John remembered how she looked at him in her quarters; how she had said she loved him before they took her in for surgery. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head back and forth. He loved her too. Probably had since the first moment he saw her in Medical Center.

Koenig straightened. They would visit this again but now he had a moonbase to protect.

"Dr. Russell will be ready to leave very shortly, Commander. You need to take her back to Alpha and we will lead the Aloy away from your people."

"But if the Aloy know the future," Victor queried, puzzled. "What will prevent them from staying behind and destroying Alpha?"

"They do not recognize you as a threat, Professor. Currently we, the Altherians, are far more intimidating than Moonbase Alpha. The Aloy understand a broad spectrum of the future but not fine details. They understand that some magnificent being, with Altheria's help, will mean their destruction." He smiled, nearly embarrassed for the Commander and his people, "In the minds of the Aloy if anything or anyone is going to be a threat to them it must be from an _advanced_ civilization and – well – Alpha is not."

Anliz cleared his throat slightly and briefly looked away from his guests.

"Our slow and inferior evolution will save our lives." Carter summed up succinctly, a little deflated by the irony.

Bergman visibly winced. He had told Morrow and the others that Alpha was a nonentity in the eyes of an advanced civilization and, in this case, it was utterly true. "Ignorance is bliss." He murmured, meaning their foe but it somehow related to the Alphans as a people too.

"The sooner you leave the better." Anliz said, not unkindly.

"Is Dr. Russell well enough to travel?" Koenig asked.

"She is already waiting in your Eagle."

/

_**Conclusion coming soon.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

/

They were in a hurry and wasted no time while hastening to their craft.

When the men entered into the Eagle, each took a turn to look at Dr. Russell as she sat in the passenger section. She was in row B, closest to the wall, and appeared delicate, somewhat nervous, but healthy. She even managed a small if slightly melancholy smile for Alan and Victor who quickly made their way to the pilot's section after acknowledging her.

This gave their Commander an excuse to sit with Helena; to talk about their future together; if indeed they, or anyone else on Alpha, had a future. Whatever situation his people were in, Koenig still wanted the twenty minutes it took from the Altherian craft to Alpha to sit in her company. Clarification was paramount not just on a personal level but possibly for future generations to come.

He slid into the seat beside Helena, grateful for her wellbeing, and listened as Carter quickly went through a verbal check-list, smoothly departing from the Altherian vessel.

"How do you feel?" Koenig asked Helena.

"Better." She said simply as the Eagle lifted away and turned about to return to Moonbase Alpha.

/

Victor Bergman gave Main Mission a full report and, barring a few private details related to their Commander and CMO, told them they would be home soon.

"We are preparing for any eventuality, Professor." Morrow said, "Is there anything further to add?"

"Just make certain you raise our shields the minute we are on the pad. By that time the Aloy craft should be well within range."

"And God help us." Carter murmured, watching as the moon came into full view.

/

The silence in the passenger section was not exactly uncomfortable but it would have been obvious to anyone watching the couple that both were engaged in heavy thought.

Helena was the first to speak, "I know it sounds ridiculous but I'm going to miss them." She murmured, arms crossed in front of her, hands resting on her lap.

"The Altherians?" Koenig asked, looking pensively at the back of the seat in front of him.

"No, the voices. The visions." Helena looked down at her hands, "They've tormented me for weeks, like awful horrendously spoiled children, but I eventually became used to them. Now that they're gone I feel a little …"

"Odd?"

"Abandoned." She looked up at him and was comforted to see supportive understanding and not confusion and skepticism. Helena continued, "In a way they were_ my_ people just like you have your own people on Moonbase Alpha." She nearly chuckled, "Bad tempered companions but still friends. And now they're gone. I suppose you could call it _grief sickness_." She sighed in exasperation at where her fanciful thoughts were taking her.

Koenig paused before he spoke, "If Commander Anliz's theory that the Aloy will have no interest in Alpha proves wrong none of us will have time to experience loneliness and rejection." He offered, gently. "Alpha and everyone in it will be but a memory."

"You don't really think that will happen, do you John?" Her eyes searched his.

"I hope not, Helena."

"And if what he says is true?" she asked, "What if the Altherians _can_ lead the Aloy away from us?"

Koenig smiled at the strangeness of the fifty-fifty proposition. "Then we can move on. Situation normal." His eyes met hers once again, "And maybe you and I can have a long over-do talk in private. Something tells me our particular brand of lonesomeness will be a thing of the past."

Helena's eyes closed and she pulled physically and emotionally away from him a little.

"Helena?"

She cleared her throat gently, attempting to hide the misery threatening to bubble to the surface. "When I spoke with Arra she told me what would happen between us, John. _But _she also added that when this was all over, when we returned to Alpha, and the Altherians and Aloy left us alone … we would forget what we know."

Koenig appeared confused for a moment, "Forget?"

"She said human beings could not know about their futures because the knowing would change it." Helena lightly licked her lips, inhaled for control, and looked up to meet John's eyes once again. "I suppose we will find our way to one another one day but …"

He did not allow her to complete the notion. Koenig leaned down and kissed her, long and gently. If it was true, if the things he was feeling for her now were going away, to be locked in stasis for an unpredictable time in the distant future, he did not want to waste time talking. Koenig wanted to show her how he desired her; spiritually, physically and passionately - for all time.

John relaxed slightly when he felt Helena's hands rest on his shoulders. Then the fingers moved up to curl gently around his neck as her lips softly parted beneath his own. When he pulled back, breathless with longing, his words were earnest, "I don't see how I could possibly forget this moment. _Ever_."

A little wistful, Helena's eyes sparkled her reply. A hand lifted to touch his cheek as she closed the space between them once again.

/

"Kano, activate the shields." Morrow ordered as they watched the Eagle settle on Pad Three.

It shimmered above them, a cloak of protectiveness that was hardly a match for any superior alien craft that might want to observe what Alpha had to hide.

Sandra's fingers tapped nervously on her key-pad. She brought up a solid image of the seconds alien craft in all its frightening grandeur. "Oh God." She whispered and hadn't realized she spoke aloud until she spotted Tanya looking at her with an expression of equal apprehension.

"David, any updated readings on armament?" Morrow asked.

"Inconclusive." Kano reported, "But if you want an educated estimation … We are in deep trouble."

A few of the Alphans working near the wall computer turned in their direction and Morrow nearly told their computer expert to keep his opinions to himself. However, before the words could be spoken, the Commander and his team entered through the double doors nearly at a run.

Somewhat out of breath, they had rushed from the docked travel tube to Main Mission.

"Communication?" Koenig asked, sharply.

"Nothing from either craft, Commander." Sandra reported. She then looked up and over at Dr. Russell as she and the others gazed at their Big Screen. The woman seemed well enough, the surgery evidently a success, but Sandra was uneasy. Considering the last time Helena was in Main Mission, the fact she held a stun gun on everyone, the data analyst felt fairly vindicated over her nervousness at having Helena so close during a dire emergency.

Bright lights suddenly emitted from the enemy alien craft. A beam penetrated Alpha's shields and alighted Main Mission, bathing it and the Alphans in an odd golden glow. A hum of what seemed like electricity was measurable.

"Victor, any idea what this is?" Koenig asked, lifting his hands to display the golden color each was suffused in.

"A slight tingling sensation." Bergman observed, rubbing his thumbs and fingers together. "They may be probing us to see if we are a menace."

Behind the seated Morrow, Helena moved closer to Koenig. "You don't suppose they have the capability of reading our minds, do you?" she wondered.

Alan, at his console, said: "Currently I don't feel any strange sensations in my head, Doc. It's my body that feels off."

Kano nodded his agreement.

"Alphans." A voice, nearly mechanical, called. "Why are you of interest to the Altherians?"

Nothing but the spaceship appeared on their screen.

"Why don't you ask_ them_?" Koenig replied, assuming the aliens must be able to hear and comprehend them if they were asking questions.

"They delay in their answer." It said, "We courteously request an explanation from you, Commander."

"_Courteous_ until we give them an answer they don't want to hear." Carter said, lowly.

Sandra heard him and nodded.

Koenig thought about it for a moment and glanced at Professor Bergman who acquiesced. "We are a weak people." He said, "Months of traveling through deep space has dangerously depleted our resources. The Altherians, of whom we know from another encounter, agreed to help us. They understand our deficiency."

"Yes." The alien voice sounded nearly scornful in its reply, "You _are _insubstantial."

The glow suddenly intensified for a period of forty-five seconds. There was no pain but the prickly feeling was strange and unnerving. There was enough time during this interval for Paul Morrow to look over at Sandra, who returned his fond gaze. Kano tapped vigorously on his keyboard and Alan Carter shifted his vision nervously about them, waiting for a payoff. Meanwhile Victor, despite the danger, marveled at the spectacle of it all.

It was also an interlude where Helena stepped in close to John Koenig and slipped her hand into his. They did not know what was going to happen but, as the couple gazed at one another, a depth of profound understanding was present. Neither could help the smiles which escaped their lips, the thoughts of love, children and a future that might not be as far off as some assumed. It would come. It had to.

Then the light was gone.

There was silence. Not even the sound of Computer, always active, could be heard.

The Altherian spaceship sped away, disappearing as if it had never existed.

The Aloy vessel quickly followed.

And Alpha was left alone, deserted by the aliens as if they were no more than an inconvenient stop off, an after-thought of insignificant proportions.

"Commander?" Morrow was looking at Koenig, verbalizing a question which was displayed on the faces of everyone in Main Mission.

He looked to Kano who had pulled then ripped a paper reading from his computer.

"They're gone." he said, "Computer says the threat no longer exists."

"When do we enter into the next viable galaxy?"

"Not for another week, Commander."

Koenig nodded and, looking down, suddenly realized he was holding Helena's hand. She saw it at the same time and, self-consciously pulled away.

"All right then." He exhaled, "Let's put it behind us and get back to work." His tone was deceptively relaxed and it went a long way in making his staff comfortable. After all, what more _could_ they do?

"I better return to Medical Center." Helena said, "I've been absent for such a long time and I'm sure Bob could use the break."

"Helena, are you sure you should?" Victor was beside her and John, "You've just had major surgery, you know."

Helena shrugged, "Oh, I am certain Dr. Mathias will want to run a few test, just to make sure all is working as it should, but I've never felt better."

Victor chuckled, patting her gently on the arm, then he quietly trotted up the steps and exited Main Mission. He too had neglected his department on Alpha. No time like the present to close a fragmentary experiment.

Dr. Russell nearly turned to do the same when she was stopped.

"Helena." Koenig lifted a hand and gently held her arm.

She looked at him, they made eye contact, but he seemed baffled. "John?" she asked.

"I … don't remember." He released her and brought up his hands in a gesture of awkwardness. "Guess I need to get some sleep."

"As do we all." She replied, relieved and with a smile. "Have a good night, John."

He watched her exit, feeling an unaccountable loss, but was also please Helena was thriving. Koenig then looked to his busy people in Main Mission.

Good people. Wise. Complex. Expressive. Human.

He would have it no other way.

All was well on Moonbase Alpha.

/

THE END

March-April 2013

_**That's it! Thank you so much for the lovely comments and I want to especially thank Becky99 for all her help. This story was my idea, my outline was used and also various slices of dialogue BUT she practically wrote this fiction and especially the final chapter all on her own! I could not have done it without her!**_

_**God bless and good reading!**_

_**SL**_


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